Petr Škuta It's been over two years since Apple plucked up the courage to remove the headphone jack from the iPhone. He received criticism and complaints from users for this. But does anyone even care about that 3,5mm jack these days?
Surely you remember the Keynote when iPhone 7 saw the light of day. Some saw it as a transitional model with a lack of innovation. At the same time, it was a smartphone that clearly indicated two important things: we will lose the Home button in the future, and Apple does not like cables. It was the first model that essentially no longer had a physical "click" home button and, above all, lost something essential.
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Amaya Toman Phil Schiller himself said at the presentation that Apple took all the courage and simply removed the headphone jack. He admitted that they don't even expect that many will understand this move now. Because this choice will be reflected only in the future.
The headphone jack must be! Or?
Meanwhile, a wave of criticism poured in on Apple. Many commented angrily that they could no longer listen to music and charge their iPhone at the same time. Audiophiles have angrily discussed how the Lightning to 3,5mm converter is unsuitable and results in loss of sound reproduction. Even the competition laughed and tried to make the most of the fact that they have a headphone jack in their ads.
The truth was, if you stubbornly insisted on cables and wanted to use wired headphones, Apple probably didn't make you happy. But then there was another group of "early adopters" who enthusiastically shared Apple's wireless vision. And in Cupertino, they themselves supported it with a product that they probably didn't even expect to be as successful as it turned out to be.
Apple introduced AirPods. Small, wireless headphones that looked like cut-off EarPods. They were (and still are) quite expensive. Still, there was something about them that caused almost everyone to have them in their pocket, and Chinese people sell hundreds of clones on AliExpress.
It just works.
AirPods did not appeal with miraculous sound quality. They actually play pretty average. They didn't even address the durability, which mainly decreases rapidly with years of use. They charmed everyone with how easy they are to use. The key philosophy of Apple, which could be felt in every product in the days when Steve Jobs was still alive, was heard.
They just worked. Click, take out, put in your ears, listen. No pairing and other nonsense. Click, remove to the box and don't worry about anything. It charges in the box and I can continue listening at any time. Although it doesn't seem like it, Apple thus showed a clear path and vision of the future.
Today, no one stops to think that even most Android smartphones do not have a 3,5 mm connector. It doesn't matter to everyone, we got used to it and use wireless headphones. Yes, audiophiles will stick with the wire forever, but that's a minority group. The common man and user that Apple and others are targeting does not fall into this category.
Apple is still leading the way
And Apple will continue to lead the way. When the iPhone X came out with a cutout, everyone was laughing again. Today, most smartphones have some form of notch, and again, we take it for granted. Products with a bitten apple still lead the way. Yes, every now and then they borrow ideas from the competition. Basically, it is certain that the new iPhone will be able to wirelessly charge other devices, as smartphones from Samsung or Huawei do. But the main source of ideas still remains the American company.
Cupertino clearly signals what its goal is - to create a perfectly smooth pebble, probably made of glass, which will not have any buttons, connectors or other "relics of the past". Others will sooner or later follow him. As with the headphone jack.
Theme: MacWorld
Hmm, that's your opinion, I have a different one.
Neither. The effort to reduce the cost of production and accessories. And at the same time, they are trying to make more money on the heyls, when the accessories that were previously included in the package "for free" are sold separately. That's the reality.
Just like the cutout was here a long time ago and the development of the phone doesn't take a week. So definitely no one copied Apple. In style, Apple has a cutout, so I'll throw it in there too. The reality is that the other manufacturers already had it ready too. But not according to Apple's model, but according to what technology makes possible. Apple just helplessly copies trends.
You certainly don't need to use an expensive audio converter, just low-end audio for the speaker is enough. The days when only the iPhone itself was the popular audio player is over. Just connect a USB headphone amplifier, perhaps even a portable one. I have a note 8 and I'm not saying that it's something high-end, but sometimes only audiobooks, great. In my opinion, it is also true, the average wire is still one hundred and one compared to wireless.
Personally, I don't miss Jack, but from an objective point of view it was the same nonsense as usb-c only laptops or canceled mag safe.